A self-employed builder from East Barnet has been fined at Colchester Magistrates’ Court for putting the lives of home-owners in danger following the installation of a wall-mounted gas boiler and associated pipe-work at their home in Clacton-on-Sea, despite not being Gas Safe Registered which is a legal requirement.

Jason Sapsford was prosecuted after inspections carried out by both British Gas and Gas Safe classified the installation work as being “At Risk”, concluding that the system, in its current state, had the potential to put both the owner’s life and property at risk.

The court heard how Mr Sapsford was contracted to remove a gas boiler from the premises on Wyndham Crescent, Clacton-on-Sea and install a wall mounted gas boiler in its place. However, immediately following installation the system repeatedly broke down. The householder was left with holes to an exterior wall, no room-control thermostat and other electrical faults.

Furthermore, a user manual was not supplied and during the course of the installation Mr Sapsford stripped the premises of its copper pipe-work, replacing it with poorly fitted plastic piping, inappropriate for its intended use and which subsequently leaked. The householder was faced with costs of around £2,500 to replace the pipe-work and install a room thermostat.

Jason Sapsford, trading at the time as New Look Builders, of Woodfield Drive, East Barnet, Herts, was fined a total of £2,000, ordered to pay costs of £2,252 and victim compensation of £2,285 after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

This case highlights the importance of getting a qualified professional every time and ensuring that their credentials are checked ~Ann Mahoney

Ann Mahoney, head of Personal Injury at M R Law comments:  “Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause death. This case highlights the importance of getting a qualified professional every time and ensuring that their credentials are checked. Clearly, Mr Sapsford was not concerned about the danger his negligent work posed to the general public.”

Mahoney advises a Gas Safety registered engineer would go through special trainings and checks to ensure he or she is competent and qualified to work safely and legally with gas.

Gas engineers will often have a range of qualifications that allow them to carry out specific types of gas work. It’s important to check the work they are qualified to do before you use them. You can find this information by looking on the back of their Gas Safe Register ID card.

Every gas engineer should carry such an ID card with their own unique licence number, showing the type of gas work for which they are qualified. Before any gas work is carried out, always make sure you ask to see their Gas Safe Register ID card, concludes Mahoney at M R Law.

Link to the original story: http://press.hse.gov.uk/2014/hertfordshire-builder-in-court-after-illegal-gas-work/